Co-founder and COO Donald Bland mentioned to us that, eventually, users would be able to scan a physical, handwritten map with their camera, which would then upload as a 3D version on Mirrorscape. For instance, if they want to hide a room where a monster is waiting for its moment to strike, the GM can tap on an area and watch it disappear. “ can watch from inside as they walk around his dungeon, and he narrates in their headsets, ‘You start to smell burning sulfur, death and decay.’ And they walk around the corner and see zombies that he’s got moving towards them.”Īnother interesting tool that GMs may appreciate is the ability to conceal certain spaces on the map. “Imagine all the players actually meet up in person and go outside,” McIntire said, painting one possible scenario. (Similar to Pokémon GO, where players can look through their cameras and discover a Roselia in their very own garden.) For instance, if a dungeon master wants to create an engaging atmosphere to pair with augmented reality, they can tell their players to go outside and turn on POV mode so it feels like they’re walking through an actual cavern. The AR mode is the most ideal for more interactive experiences. It’s recommended that users turn off “Center Pivot” in the top-right menu to avoid a frustrating experience. There are only two virtual rooms available at launch, but the company plans to launch more in the near future, Eric McIntire, the company’s brand manager, told TechCrunch.īoth versions come with POV mode, where party members can click on an eye icon to look at the world from their characters’ perspective.Īfter testing the app, we found that 3D mode was the most difficult to navigate, especially when zooming in and out or trying to look at the map from a different angle. Players can either view the map in AR mode - where they point and look through their phone cameras to explore the landscape - or 3D mode, which takes place in virtual rooms such as “Forge’s Tavern,” featuring a cozy fireplace and mugs of mead, and “The Hall of Heroes,” a candlelit room that pays tribute to fallen adventurers. Mirrorscape offers two types of playing modes. In addition to Hero Forge, the company partners with major game publishers and model manufacturers Paizo (Pathfinder and Starfinder), Reaper, Fat Dragon, Dwarven Forge and many others. Hero Forge users can link their digital mini for free. The app includes a free starter kit, including approximately a dozen or so free maps, a few basic structures like cavern walls, cobblestone floors and doorways, along with five free minis, including a dwarf, a barbarian and a huntress. Individual digital items, such as miniature figures and terrain, range from 99 cents to $4.99. The customizable platform provides game masters (GMs) with a toolset for creating an animated world of their dark and twisted dreams, from dimly lit dungeons to small villages overrun by orcs.Īt launch, Mirrorscape provides access to around 50 already built maps, which can be purchased in the store section within the build tab. Similar to other companies in the same space ( Ardent Roleplay, Spatial and Tilt Five), Mirrorscape’s most significant feature is its building capabilities. A PC version is launching in the coming months. The app is available to download for free on the App Store and Google Play Store. Mirrorscape aims to shake up traditional tabletop as well as VTT gaming with its technology, allowing users to enhance their game session with AR, build 3D maps, roll digital dice, chat with fellow party members and more, all on one platform. The new VTT app launches at a time when many players are shifting away from the typical pen-and-paper play and transitioning to digital gaming - whether by creating character sheets on D&D Beyond, hopping on Discord/Zoom to play with long-distance friends or using services like Roll20. Mirrorscape, a mixed reality and gaming development company, announced the open beta launch of its app, letting users experience their favorite tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) in AR. Yet another virtual tabletop (VTT) tool has joined the fray, giving Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder and tabletop role-playing gamers alike a new augmented reality experience.
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